Beer-bottle slasher arrested at hospital

Denis J. O'Malley

Published 8:32 pm, Tuesday, September 3, 2013

BRIDGEPORT -- Angry that a woman had parked in his home's common driveway, a Madison Avenue man slashed her arm with a beer bottle, then sought treatment at the same hospital as the victim, leading to his arrest Saturday, police said.

The incident began in the early morning hours, when the victim drove to a friend's home in the 1000 block of Madison Avenue, parked in the residence's common driveway and waited for the friend to run inside and grab a few things, city police spokesman William Kaempffer said in a news release.

By the time she came out, her upstairs neighbor, Jose Oliva, 32, had arrived in his truck and started screaming for the woman parked in the driveway to move her vehicle, police said.

Oliva then confronted the female resident -- a slight woman standing 5 feet tall and weighing about 100 pounds -- and pushed her against a fence before throwing a punch and missing her, Kaempffer said.

The woman punched Oliva in the forehead and tried to take off while Oliva picked up a beer bottle and threw it at the car, police said.

When the second beer bottle he threw smashed into pieces, Oliva picked one up, went over to the car and slashed the arm of the woman who had been waiting in the vehicle, Kaempffer said.

The woman went to St. Vincent's Medical Center to seek treatment, which amounted to 18 stitches to close the two lacerations left by the beer bottle.

Oliva decided he ought to see a doctor as well, but in choosing St. Vincent's, wound up finding police officers there as well, according to the release.

Oliva was treated for lacerations to his fingers and then charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and breach of peace. His bond was set at $25,000.